What a week! Now that the panels, discussions, presentations, chats, serendipitous introductions and nightly events have concluded, we attempt to wrap our week in Austin into four central themes that we brought back for HB to make our work (and our clients’ work) more successful.

As a reminder, you can relive all of the action here.

Trust

Andrea spoke about this a few days ago. Throughout our time in Austin, we heard discussions surrounding the idea of audience trust and authenticity. Only when content speaks directly and honestly to the audience will a brand perform well – and this happens over a long, incremental period of time, not in short, sporadic bursts. With the right campaign, trust can be measured through speed and reach – audiences will make quicker decisions through a trustworthy relationship.

“Trust can be measured in speed and reach. Vendors can make things easier in order to solve a problem – therefore, you can work more efficiently and make more money. Reach comes from sharing stories with your friends.” – Liz Strauss, founder of SOBcon and Inside-Out Thinking, from What’s So [Bleeping] Hard About Social ROI?

In fact, multiple presenters talked about getting out of the user’s way, allowing for individual brand experience and exploration. Technology should be calm and unobtrusive, using clean, simple design and user experiences to communicate messages.

“Calm technology is in the background and relaxed. Actions become buttons or are triggered through invisible interfaces.” Amber Case, Co-founder, Geoloqi , from Ambient Location and the Future of the Interface.

Be Bold, Smart and Nimble

Panelists and speakers throughout all our sessions challenged attendees to break traditions, defy standards, go rogue and show change. Shifts in offerings and marketing strategies must become part of an agency’s (or brand’s) DNA, allowing them to act like startups to adapt to constantly evolving industries, media channels and technology.

“There needs to be resistance to hierarchy. Smaller, nimbler teams innovate faster.” – Rei Inamoto, Chief Creative Officer, AKQA, from Why Ad Agencies Should Act More Like Tech Startups

We often heard the recommendation to “fail fast” – testing new ideas, strategies or projects through user research and experimentation.

“Fail quickly. You learn more from what doesn’t work then you do from what does.” – Lance Weiler, Story Architect/Experience Designer, RebootStories.com, from Multiplatform Storytelling: Frontline War Stories.

Give the People What They Want

It all boils down to this. Content strategy, development, distribution and marketing – it’s about getting your audience members what they want, when they want it and how they want it.

Brands are no longer just product and service companies – they are publishers who must provide meaningful, entertaining content to their users (even if the content does not directly tie to the product or service). These same brands must inspire their audiences through unique storytelling – gone are the days when copy, on its own, can create the same experience as a story involving visuals, videos, photography, and media from other platforms.

“What would our audience love to see? Don’t even think about the brand.” – Anthony Batt, President, Katalyst, from Entertain or Fail: Brands as the New Publishers.

The role of the content strategist thus continues to grow across brands and agencies that develop large amounts of content. Increasingly, people in this position will take the lead on new projects. A successful content strategy combines thoughtful workflow and governance (people) with substance and structure (engaging content).

“Nontraditional storytelling through visuals and interactive is becoming what readers want.” – Jill Abramson, Executive Editor, The New York Times, from The Future of The New York Times.

Social

We all think Social is so special. Stop it – it’s not. Social is simply another marketing tactic like advertising or direct mail. So why expect special ROI measurements from social marketing? For many other marketing tools we simply ask, “are profits increasing?” We need not treat Social as an alien, but rather just as another strategy in your marketing toolbox.

“Aren’t we overcomplicating this? What’s the ROI of taking a guy to the golf course or out to dinner?” – Matt Ridings, Co-founder & CEO, SideraWorks, from What’s So [Bleeping] Hard About Social ROI?

The only real difference is that social media allows you to listen to your audience, rather than broadcast to them. So do it – leverage the opportunity to get to know your prospects and customers so all of your communication is spot-on for their needs and interests.

Oh, and “viral” is overrated.

Phew! The week in Austin surely filled our brains with plenty to digest, review and implement in the coming weeks and months. We look forward to SXSW 2013!

Read about the rest of our trip to SXSW trip at The HB Blog.

Post-conference communication often creates challenges:

• What was that person’s name?
• Did I remember to follow her on Twitter?
• How can I reach out to him?
• And, the big one: could this person become a partner or client?

One can imagine an avalanche of email correspondence the week following SXSW Interactive. But how can your voice, note, or offer get to the thousands of people you met?

Keep it short

The last thing anyone wants to do is slog through dozens of emails about how much the sender enjoyed meeting you. Keep your message brief, targeted, and actionable. What do you want the recipient to do? At the very least, keep the conversation going – invite the recipient to a Twitter chat, encourage them to watch a SXSW recap, or setup a time to chat.

Show some love

Folks appreciate digital manners. If you meet someone interesting, mention them on Twitter, connect on LinkedIn, or provide them a soapbox on your blog. A post about the 5-10 interesting people met on day 1 of SXSW helps the folks you meet and lays the groundwork for future partnerships.

Grow your audience

Conferences provide excellent opportunities to share your voice with a larger audience. No matter your tactic or strategy, continuing the conversation with SXSW attendees helps extend your reach and develop a larger audience for your content (and maybe, your business).

A recent Google+ post from Jeremiah Owyang read:

“You for rent: I can rent your HOUSE with AirBnB. I can rent your CAR with GetAround. I can rent your TIME and EXPERTISE with taskrabbit, crowdflower. What else can we rent in the future? What’s left?”

Owyang focuses on a shift in user behavior over the past couple of years: people no longer require ownership of their content – just access to it.

That’s a long cry from Steve Jobs’s discussion surrounding the iTunes Music Store in 2007:

“People want to own their music.”

Only six years later, Apple now offers iTunes Match which allows users to stream their music from any device, assuming it’s purchased through iTunes or resides on a home machine. Similarly, Spotify offers a seemingly-endless supply of music to its customers for a monthly subscription fee.

On the tube

Likewise, the television and movie models are shifting their business model from ownership to rental. Companies like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon provide content consumption without taking up precious space on your hard drive.

Even production companies are joining the fun. Without “ownership” of a cable box, folks can watch many of their favorite shows via a web site or app. The episodes no longer reside on a machine; rather, users stream content over the internet with relatively little setup.

On the horizon

Back to Owyang. What’s next? Magazines have slowly joined the movement, offering digital subscriptions – but mainly when the customer already receives a print version of the publication.

Instead of content, it’s commodities and services that are sure to see an uptick in “rentals.” Could there be a subscription-fee model for airfare? Or how about automobile maintenance? Will the book industry move to this model to service the millions of Kindles, Nooks, and iPads across the globe?

What do you think will come next in this world of renting?

From the HB Blog

Chances are you left a comment on Facebook or retweeted on Twitter today. If you’re fancy, you may have done the same on newer social sites Pinterest and Path.

Are we leaving blogs out in the cold?

Home base

Your business calls its web site and blog its home. Branded messages and campaigns may live on several (or several thousand, through AdWords) other web sites.

But your home page – and your blog – houses your customer community. A comment left on a blog comes from a true “subscriber,” someone who chooses to read your work or receive the latest updates through a news feed.

Design and media

Even better, the visual experience of a blog post far surpasses that of Facebook, Twitter, or other social offerings. As an author, you can work with your creative team to include video, photo galleries, infographics, or type treatments to call out specific parts of your post.

The main course

Sure – your Facebook page and Twitter might offer your customers the “sweets.” Giveaways, campaigns, and discussion can take on a life of their own.

But your blog – rich of nutrients and vitamins – is the main course. Treat it well and it will do the same for your community.

From the HB Blog

Last week, I overheard a conversation between our PR team and a representative from a prominent wire service.

“When I started, we concentrated solely on media. We differentiated ourselves from our competitors through speed – as soon as you faxed something to us, we had two people proof it as soon as possible.”

That was only 10 or so years ago.

Then, media strategy stressed control. An agency suggested key messages – and that would be the only thing you heard from a business.

Lack of control

And then the internet happened. Through the birth – and rapid explosion – of social networks, companies soon learned a then-awful truth: they no longer controlled their messages and stories.

The customers had a new playground to express their opinions. Gasp!

Embrace uncontrollability

As companies learned to harness their networks over the last few years, the power of the customer grew exponentially. Companies now interacted directly with customers… and often, the customers drove business decisions. What a novel concept!

The shift to continuation

More recently, companies’ social strategies matured into something Gary Varynerchuk called “continuing the story.” Instead of fearing the uncontrollable, businesses began crafting their own story… and extending it online with a microsite, hashtag, or Facebook URL.

Customers are now characters, taking the beginning of an idea and crafting it into a story of their own, providing ample opportunities for brands to re-engage.

Now that’s continuing the story.

From the HB Blog

We recently celebrated one year in our new office in Newton, a space strategically designed to draw people into one, central meeting space for planned discussions, and to several other collaborative spaces where impromptu meetings occur.

Despite our efforts, we are constantly reminded by folks like Jason Fried that meetings and discussions may not lead to optimal productivity. He argues the opposite is true – developing an environment where folks can work without interruption may be better.

The power of conversation

Is he right? At HB, we often say that “nothing beats a conversation.” We believe that issues can be efficiently solved with candid talk.

Similarly (as shared in the his biography), Steve Jobs believed the best work occurs when all parties sit together and hash out a problem – even if this results in screaming matches.

Less or more?

There are certainly times where some “alone time” can allow for incredibly efficient development. However, at HB, we pride ourselves on solving problems together with the client’s best intentions in mind. It’s that flexibility that offers a strong working environment.

So, how do you work?

Gone are the days where writers and content creators needed a publishing house to help them distribute their latest work. Today, a piece of content can be shared effortlessly through a company’s web site or social media channel(s).

Where does that leave books?

Going digital

eBooks exploded over the past couple of years – first, with the development of Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes n Noble’s Nook. Now, the iPad has taken the market to new heights. In fact, the move has destroyed some businesses – most notably, Borders.

Publishers and authors can decide to release a book… without printing. Via Amazon, Barnes n Noble, or the iTunes Store, users can purchase directly from a publishing house.

The self-author

More recently, authors are foregoing the business model all together. Rather than work with a publisher to determine cost, shipments, and logistics, forward-thinking creators can work with Amazon’s Domino Project to offer free, short-form books. A good example: Julien Smith, who previously wrote (and distributed in the traditional fashion) “Trust Agents,” released a book through Amazon with a free digital download.

Beyond reading

Apple’s latest investment goes beyond the printed word. Their iBooks Author program provides content creators another distribution stream… but with interactive content.

Authors can create books that feature animations, photos, and videos for use on the iPad. And they can be sold for as little as $0.

Opportunities abound

So we’ve gone from the printed word, to eBooks, to interactive offerings (all within a few years). Needless to say, the creation of free eBooks or iBooks should be a part of many companies’ future content marketing plans.

“I need something in my hands!” my father decrees, sharing how he reads news via the print edition of The Boston Globe.

He’s not alone.

Traditionally, humans learned of the latest news developments from their regional news publication – a literal newspaper. Needless to say, the medium changed.

The fear of customized news

I recall reading an article 10-15 years ago about the possibilities of receiving a “custom newspaper” in your inbox. This was considered a big problem – would readers ignore hard news for entertainment and sports coverage? The horror!

Today, that “horror” materializes as “options.” Readers use several strategies to digest news, including:

• A paid digital subscription, like The New York Times or The Boston Globe,
• A news reader application that pulls information from several sites simultaneously, or
• Social media applications.

Experiential news

Another marked changed comes via the delivery mechanism. Readers who rely solely on the internet for news read on a desktop, mobile phone, or tablet – and can view additional content beyond the printed word with color photos, videos, and interactive graphics that serve up content not available in my father’s newspaper.

One new trend across the web, responsive design, allows readers to digest news at the same web site, independent of their device. The Boston Globedoes a great job of this at thebostonglobe.com.

The news cycle

Perhaps the biggest shift comes from the new interpretation of the word “journalist.” Quite often, readers receive news via sharing. I might hear about the latest news development from a Twitter follower whom I’ve never met. Or, learn of a new technology trend from a video blog.

The new news

Gone are the days of Walter Cronkite and The New York Times, early edition. Here to stay are varying delivery methods for all types of news. How long will newspapers last?

I think it’s the opposite.

Developing great work

Great works of marketing, literature, and speech often come from pride. Sure, hard work plays a large role. But folks who are known as social media giants, elite athletes, or powerful orators are all proud of themselves and their accomplishments.

Instead of “hey, look at me!”, the proud think, “hey, I’m looking inside and I want this to be awesome!”

Creation

Another way to look at it: pride comes from creation. In the 2000 film “Finding Forrester,” the character of William Forrester claims that he didn’t write his novel for them (critics), but for himself.

This creation needn’t be a physical item. Everyday folks can take pride in their:

• home, by keeping rooms clean,
• car or workspace, by doing the same,
• wardrobe, by taking care of their garments,
• community, by volunteering time,
• health, by exercising regularly, or
• artistic development through music, dance, and expression.

It may be one of the seven deadly sins, but pride provides the one outlet that makes me tick. Why are you proud?

From the HB Blog

“You don’t even know what the thing is yet.” – Sean Parker, “The Social Network”

Much like Justin Timberlake’s line from the 2010 film, “The Social Network,” this Google+ “thing” has yet to find an identity since its launch in June of last year – and that’s okay.

The platform offers some of the same things as other major players Twitter and Facebook:

• follow other users’ news streams,
• share interesting content via text, links, photos, and videos, and
• comment on others’ posts.

However, there are two unique offerings that help separate Google+ as its own platform.

The power of search

As we all know, Google dominates the search market. Google+ offers users and businesses the added bonus of search traffic to their accounts. Now, your bio, content, and posts are all searchable content. In fact, Google created controversy with their recent announcement regarding Google+ content appearing in Google searches.

Businesses can heighten their brand awareness efforts with engaging content on their Google+ pages that will accompany searches about their brand, product, or service.

Let’s hang out

The second unique feature comes from Google’s take on video chats. They’re called Hangouts, or impromptu video chats with dozens of people.

With a few simple clicks, you can invite certain people to private chats for collaboration and communication, or offer a public forum for topical discussion. I see great potential in Hangouts for businesses. Companies can offer previously impossible direct contact with their customers to provide support and recommendations in the hopes of extending the customer’s relationship with a brand.

Only six months into its life, Google+ sits in prime position to grow in 2012. Will you grow with it?